Cribbing



A1g 18, .1931- J. s. HolasoNv 1,819,026

CRIBBING Filed Dec. 6, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 18, 1931. J. s. HoBsoN 1,819,026

CRIBBING Filed Dec. 6, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wwmw M Patented Aug. 18, 1931 UNITED y fsrArssf PATENT OFFICE JOHN S.

HOBSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINoirs, AssIeNoR To ivIAssEY CONCRETE PRODUCTS CORPORATION, OP CHICAGO; ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or VIRGINIA GRIBBING Appiicatin mea December e, 1928. 'serial No. 324,122.

The present invention relatesto cribbing,

and is particularly concerned with cribbi-ng,

lapted to be constructed of concretevmemrs. Y One of the objects of the inventionis the provision of an improved form of cribbing, the headers and stretchers of which are of regular polyhedral form so that these members may be most economically manufac- Q tured, transported and laid. Another object is the provision of anovel cribbing having a closed outer wall, all elements of which lietlush with the faceof the wall to form a more durable retaining wall having no projecting parts which could be broken OE.

Another object of the invention is' the provision of a novel closed face cribbing comprising a plurality of regular polyhedral members and a plurality of interlocking anchor members embedded in and protected by the cribbing wall. Another object is the provision-of a novel method of construction of cribbing walls whereby a closed face cribbing may be constructed of regular polyhedral members. i.

Other objects and advantages will appear more Vfully from the following description and from the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference indicate similarparts throughout the several views. 1 f Y Referring to the drawings, of which there are two sheets; i

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a cribvention;

Fig. Qis an elevational view of the same; Fig. Sis across sectional viewof a fin- AO ished cribbing and embankment-taken on a plane at right angles to thefroiitcribbing Well;

.Fig. 4 is a view in perspective anchor member;

Fig. 5 is a view in perspeotiveofa cribbing member which may serve4 either' asl header or stretcher.

Referring to Fig. `5, 10 indicates one of my cribbing members which may be 'used either 50. as a header or a stretcher and referringto bing constructed'according to the present `in;

of one type Figs. 1 to 3, 11y indicates'cribbing members employed as stretchers, while 12 indicates cribbing members employed asheaders.

The cribbing membersv 1 0 are Of regular polyhedral form, having a plurality of plane. sidesand plane ends,` and the cribbingmem-- bers are' preferably of substantially rectangularl cross seciion, having plane rectangular sides 13, 14, 15 and 16 and plane rectangular ends 17 and 18. It willthus be observed that the cribbing members constitute regular four-sided prisms, as a result of which the concrete formsy may be constructed with a minimum of material and labor,y and the finished cribbing members may be piled im# mediately adjacent each other in a minimum space, thereby facilitating transportation from the place of manufacture to the point of use. Y

In order to anchor the headers and stretch form shown, however, and may consist of regularstock rods, pipes, tubes or bars cut olf to proper length so that the anchor Would protrude from each side of a header, in which case the4 recesses for the anchor will naturally. be of complementary form. to the anchor.

The anchor shown in Fig'. 4 comprises an elongated cast metal member, whose longest dimension is suflicient sothat the ends 2() and 21 will project a. substantial distance beyond each side of a header. The anchor `19 may have its ends 2O and 21 rounded at the cor-` ners for convenience in casting, and in. order to` providefa maximum of strength in Vthe direction Aof the probable strain, the anchor 19 maybe made substantially flat with its top and bottom faces .22 and 23 wider than the edges 24 and 25. y v l Eachof the 4cribbing members 10 which intended to be employed as a stretcher, is provided with a recess` or socket Q6 extending longitudinally `of the stretcher 11 into each QIIS endsland lhand the .recesses 26 are The cribbing members 10 which are intend-V ed to be employed as headers 12 are provided with recesses or sockets 28 which preferably extend transversely to the headers 12 and which may consist of apertures 28 extending through the ends of the header 12. The recesses or sockets 28 are also of complementary form to the body of the anchor 19, the vertical dimension 29 being slightly greaterv than-the thickness of the anchor at the side 24, and the horizontal dimension 30 of the aperture 28 being slightly wider than the top 22 of the anchor. It will thus be observed that the-anchor 19 may be slid endwise into an aperture 28 in the end of a header, and the ends 20 and 21 will project sufficiently beyond the faces 13 and 15 of the header so as to engage in recesses 26 in adjacent stretchers.

The sockets 26 are preferably, but not necessarily, centrally disposed in the ends 17 and 18 in order to provide a symmetrical construction in which the strength ofthe cribbing member does not depend upon thev side on which the cribbing member is laid. In order to cause the sockets 26 to be aligned with the sockets 28 when the end 17 of a header 12 is flush with one of the sides'15 of a stretcher 11, the socket 28 is disposed inward of the end of the header a distance which is equal to the distance of the Vsocket 26 from either of the sides 13 or 15. That is, the distance between the socket 28 and the face 17 is equal to the distance between the socket 26 and either the face 15 or 13.

By providing a substantial clearance between the anchors and the sockets 26 and 28 in which they are received, my cribbing may be used to construct a curved cribbing wall since the stretchers 11 may be so laid that each stretcher forms an obtuse angle with the adjacent stretcher, thereby forming a wall which may curve slightly to conform to any conditions required.

It is highly desirable in the manufacture of cribbing members to reduce the number of different parts manufactured, to a minimum, and the present invention is peculiarly adapted to further this object, since all of the cribbing members may be provided with both the recesses 28 extending transversely to the end and the recesses 26 ext-ending longitudinally to the end. It is thus unnecessary in constructing a cribbing wall to make certain that the required number of different types of units is at hand, because the unit may be used either for a stretcher or a header, and the presence of an extra recess does not mar the appearance of the wall to any substantial extent, nor detract from its advantages. The

provision of a single unit capable of serving as both header and stretcher also simplifies the laying of the cribbing because it is unnecessary in the laying of the cribbing to select a certain unit to beused next as would be the case where unskilled labor is required to pick up first one type of unit and then another type.

I desire it to be understood that my invent-ion contemplates the use of the cribbingr construction shown in some cases at one end of the cribbing, the opposite or rear cribbing wall being constructed according to known conventional modes of laying cribbing with or without the stretchers as shown.

The method of construction of my cribbing wall is as follows.

The cribbing is preferably provided below the outer wall or face 31 with a small foundation 32 giving the lowermost header members 12a slight backward slope so that the forward face or wall 31 slopes backward slightly from the vertical.

A single header 12 may be laid upon the foundation 32 with one end resting on the foundation, the stretcher extending tra-nsversely to the foundation 32 and generally at right angles to 32. The headers are laid upon either the sides ltor 16 with the recesses 28 extending substantially horizontally.

An anchor member 19 may then be slid longitudinally into the recess 28 at each end ofthe header 12 and disposed symmetrically relative to the header with its ends 20 and 21 projecting beyond the sides 13 and 15. Stretchers 11 may then be laid on each side of the header 12 substantially at right angles to the header 12 and at each end of the header as shown in Fig. 1, and the stretchers may be slid along their length,`bringing the ends 17 of the stretchers into abutting relation with the sides 13 and 15 of the header, the sockets 26 receiving the ends 20 and 21 of the anchor.

Other'headers and stretchers may then be laid in the same course and in the same relation to the headers and stretchers previously laid after the manner shown in Fig. 1, and in general it will be found most desirable to lay a Y header first, thereafter sliding an anchor through the header and using the anchor to align the header with previously laidstretchers. The next stretcher may then be slid laterally into place, the stretchers being aligned by engagement of the sockets 125 21 of an anchoralstantially at the middle of the stretcher below it and resting transversely upon two stretchers. When the balance ofthe headers and stretchers of this course are laid, the joints will be automatically broken 'and the header walls will consist of headers spaced laterally from each other a distance equal to onehalf the length of the stretcher and spaced vertically from each otherV the depth of one stretcher or header. Y

The front wall or face 3l will consist of a plurality of stretcher sides and headerends all laid flush with each other and forming a closed face wall upon whichthere are no projections to be broken off and within which the anchors are concealed and protected in the recesses 26 and 28. Although the cribbing wall is substantially closed in appearance, the cracks between successive cribbing members provide drainage for the filler 33 and it is unnecessary to make any special provision for drainage.

My cribbing may also be provided with means for positively preventing the shifting of one layer of the cribbing relative to the adjacent layers, but I desire it to be understood that all of the novel features of the cribbing need not be employed in every embodiment, and many of the advantages of the invention may be realized by utilizing only a portion of the novel features.

The means for preventing shifting of one layer relative to the other may consist of sockets 34 and 35 formed in the top and bottom of the cribbing members and adapted to receive interlocking members 36. 'Ihe sockets 34 and 35 are preferably formed in both thevheaders and the stretchers, although they are only utilized in one of these members, because it is of great practical advan tage to have only one type of cribbing'member.

The sockets 34 and 35 extend only part way into the body of the cribbing member soV that the bottom of the socket 34 may support the weight of theinterlocking member 36. By using a plurality of separate short interlocking members, it is possible to build a wall of any height without the necessity for cutting off interlocking members, as would be the case where a long rod was used.

The universal type of cribbing member which embodies all of the necessary features to serve either as header or stretcher is shown in Fig. 5, and this cribb-ing member includes sockets 34 located in its upper surface, as wellA as the sockets 35 in its bottom surface (no shown).

Thel sockets 34 and 35 may be of any convenient shape, but they are preferably made' circular in order to receive interlocking members of relatively simple form consisting of short pieces ofv metal rods 36.v In order that the sockets may register when the cribbing members are associated as in Fig. 2, thev sockets 34 and 35 should'be located as shown in Fig. 2, where the sockets 34 are located in-y ward'of the ends of the stretchers byvaV dista-ncewhich is'slightly less than one-fourth Y the lengthof the cribbingmember.V In other words, the distance between the two sockets 34'on one cribbing member is equal to twice the distancefrom the socket to the end of the cribbing member, plus the width of one header.

It will thus be observed that when the stretchers are assembled as shown in Fig. 2, the sockets 34 will be located above the sockets 35 on adjacent stretchers.

Vhen the interlocking members 36 vare employed for preventing shifting of the stretchers relative to each other, another-step willbe added to the method of assembling the cribbing comprising the laying of the interlocking members 36'and care will be taken in laying the stretchers ll to slide the end socket 26 over the interlocking member 19 while the other end of the stretchers is slightly raised. The raised end of the stretcher may then be lowered until the sockets 35 receive the upwardly projecting ends of the interlocking members 36. It should be noted that the sockets should have suiiicient tolerance or clearance to facilitate assembly without diliiculty.

It will thus be observed that I haveV invented a novel forni of cribbing member and a novel cribbing assembly in which all the units may be constructed of thel simplest polyheclr'al form so that they may `be manufactured most economically. YThe cribbing thus constructed is provided with a closed face wall, all parts of which are flush with the wall, forming a very durable cribbingwall and the anchor means provided is enclosed and protected by the cribbing wall.'

The anchors 19 interlock the headers with adjacent stretchers Vand prevent Elateral movement of the stretchers, and the weight of the whole construction is sufficient to maintain the cribbing inzposition during the placing-of the filler as well as afterward.

The interlocking members 36 prevent rel-c ative movement between the stretchers of the wall and thereby maintain the wall in alignment, both before and after the filling ,has been placed'. l

While I have illustrated a preferred em-` bodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventiomand I do not wish to be limited to the Aprecise details of construction set forth, but desire to avoid myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims." Y f Having thus described my invention, what I vclaim'is new vand desire to secure by `Letters Patent of the United States, is:

l. In a cribbing 7the combination of a header with an anchor member extending transversely Vto said header and engaging in a socket formed in said header, and va stretcher extending transversely to said header in the same course-andV engaged by fig said anchor member. kE e i 2. In a cribbing, the combination of a pair of stretchers with a header, said stretchers lying in the same course and transversely to.

said header andan anchor member in interlocking engagement with said stretchers and said header.V

33A cribbing member comprising a concrete stretcher having plane rectangular sides and ends and having an anchor vsocket eX- 'i tending longitudinally of said stretcher into its ends and spaced `from the sides of said cribbing member. Y

l 4f.` In a cribbing, the combination of a. plurality of concrete members having plane rec- 'Q' tangular sides, said members comprising stretchers laid longitudinally of said cribbing and headers laid transverselyof said cribbing, the ends of said stretchers abutting the sides of headers, and metal anchor mem- '25 bers carried by said headers and engaging in said stretchers to resist lateral movement of said stretchers.

5. In a cribbing, the combination of a. plurality of concrete members having plane rectangular sides, said members comprising stretchers laid longitudinally of said cribbing and headers laid transversely of said cribbing, the ends of said stretche'rs abutting the sides of headers, anchor means carried by "'85 said headers and engaging in said stretchers to resist lateral movement of said stretchers, saidn anchor means-comprising metal members each passing transversely lthrough the end of a header and extending longitudinally into the end of a stretcher. i

6. In a cribbing, the combination of a header having a transverse recess therein with an anchor carried in said recess and astretcher in the same course as said header and having a socket with walls engaging on opposite sides of saidanchor. t

7. In a cribbing, the combination ofa plurality of headers and stretchers, consisting of similar courses arranged with the headers offset with respect to the courses immediately above and below each course, including transverse headers and longitudinal stretchers with the stretchers extending in substantially the samedirection and their ends abutt-ing against the sides of headers adjacent the ends o the headers, and anchor members passing through the headers and into sockets in the stretchers. V-

8. In a cribbing, the combination of a plurality of headers and stretchers, consisting of similar courses arrangedl with the headers offset with respect to the courses immediately above and below each course, including transverse headers and longitudinal stretch- 545i ers with the stretchers extending in substantially the same direction and their ends abutting against :the sides of headers adjacent the ends of theheaders, anchor members passing ythrough the headers and into sockets in the stretchers,and anchor members located betweenthe courses of stretchers in sockets formed in the stretchers.

9. In a cribbing, a. common header and stretcher unit-comprising a concrete member having substantially flat rectangular sides and having a transversely extending aperture at leach end with a longitudinally extending socketfin each end, said socket being located midway between the top and bottom of said unit, and said aperture being 1 spaced from the end of said unit by a distance equal tothe spacing of said socket from the sides of said unit. Y

lO. In a cribbing, a common header and stretcher `unit comprising a concrete member having substantially `flat' rectangular sides and having a transversely extending aperture at each end with a longitudinally extending socket in -each end, said socket being located midway between the top and bottom of said unit, and said aperture being spaced from the end of said unit by a distance equal to the spacing of said socket from the sides of said unit, and said unit having transversely extendingy sockets located in its upper and bottom surfaces, and spaced from the ends of said unit by a distance equal to substantially one-'fourth the length of said unit.

ll. In a cribbing,the combination of a plurality of headers and stretchers, each having substantially plane rectangular sides, said headers and stretchers being located in the same course with the headerstransversely arrangedto said stretchers, and one end of veach `header located between the ends of two adjacent stretchers to form a forward wall, an `interlocking member passing through an aperture in each header and having its ends located in sockets in the ends of the adjacent stretchers, a second layer of headers and stretchers similarly arranged with the headers of the second layer located midway between the headers ofV the first layer, and a plurality of other headers and stretcliers similarly arranged with the headers staggered with respect to each other in'each course to form a closed face cribbing wall. Y.

12. In a cribbing, the combinationl of a plurality of headers and4 stretchers, each having substantially yplane rectangular sides, said headers and stretchers being located in the same course with the headers transversely arranged to said stretchers, and one end of each header located between the ends of two adjacent stretchers to form va forward wall, Y an interlocking member passing through an aperture in each header and having its. endslocated in sockets in the ends of the adjacent stretchers, a second layer of headers and stretchers similarly arranged with the headers of the second layer located midway between the headers of the irst layer, a plurality of other headers and stretchers similarly arranged with the headers staggered with respect to each other in each course to form a closed face @ribbing wall, said stretehers being provided with sockets in their upper and lower sides located to register with sockets in the adjacent upper and lower stretchers and interlocking members in said sockets between said stretehers to prevent lateral displacement of the stretchers with respect to each other.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 3 day of December, 1928.

JOHN S. HOBSON. 

